Keeping Promises
by Melchy
Summary: Promises must always be kept. Even to a five year old.


Peter Gunn

Takes place in 1969, 8 years after the end of the show. Peter Gunn and Edie Hart have been married for the same amount of time and have two children, five year old Lola and one month old Andrew.

This is my first attempt at writing outside of the series. I hope you enjoy. Thanks to Lynda Mayfield for tons of help on making it readable and not letting me quit.

This fulfills the challenge using the words June, and Purple and the number 8.

Keeping Promises are important no matter when you made them or how old the person is you made them too.

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Five old Lola Gunn looked over the gallons of paint that were carefully stored in the garage and practiced her spelling on each one. There was one of blue—B-LUE and two that she finally figured out said B-U-T-T-E-R-C-R-E-AM, Butter cream, one that looked like daisy yellow, ivy green, and a C-A-P, um P-U-CC-I-NO, cappuccino which Mama said was brown. Daddy had said a group of men who painted peoples' homes for money were coming over Friday to make the walls in their new house pretty again after the reno- reno, after they fixed it up, while the four of them were going to stay in a hotel for the weekend. Lola knew she had stayed in one before, three or four times but she didn't really remember it. She couldn't wait. Her best friend JUNE told her they had color television and something called room service. It all sounded exciting and she did a little dance. But wait a minute—where was the paint for her bedroom? She looked at each gallon again carefully but like before it wasn't there. They were going to paint her room weren't they? Why would they leave her room the ugly white color it was and give **THAT** baby the pretty ivy green with drawings of Pooh Bear on the wall above his crib? She had been a member of this family for exactly five years last week and he had only shown up a couple of weeks ago.

"Lola!" she heard her father's voice calling her and she headed for the door that opened into the kitchen. This house was so much bigger than their old one and she wondered how much extra space her parents expected the new baby to take up. He didn't look all that big to her and she had heard Mama tell Aunt Robin he was EIGHT lbs when he was born. She bet their cat Sherlock weighed less than that, Jac the dog probably weighed more but he was a pig when he ate. Daddy always laughed when he said that like it was funny.

She turned the handle just as someone turned it from the other side and she laughed as her 6ft 2 in ever handsome father scooped her up in his arms and swung her around the room. "Are you hungry doodle bug?" he asked, giving her a kiss before gently setting her down on her feet. "Mama just brought some food home from the restaurant."

"Cheesy Chicken?"

I think I saw some."

"Let's go!"

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Lola wasn't sure what the real name of 'cheesy chicken' was but she loved it. If she was allowed to eat it every night she would and probably for breakfast too. She ate; listening to her parents' talk and watching her little brother snooze in his bouncy seat across the table from where she sat. He was very cute she had to admit and yesterday he learned to smile. Mama and Daddy were proud of course but after telling like fifty people Lola really didn't care anymore.

Mama owned a restaurant so they always had good stuff to eat. The place was named _Edie's_ which was her name and something Lola found funny. Daddy said before she started the supper club (because there was food and entertainment) she was a vocalist at Mother's. Mother's was a jazz club that no longer existed and sometimes when he talked about it his voice got all wavy. (He'd tell her stories about seeing Mama at Mother's and Uncle Barney and Uncle Emmett.) Vocalist turned out to mean someone who sang, usually in public "I feel bad for those people she used to sing to." She told him. Mama is the best singer in the world."

"I think so too."

There was chocolate mousse for dessert and Edie poured Lola another glass of milk to wash it down with.

"Did you have fun shopping with Mama today?" Pete asked her, dabbing at the chocolate on her cheek.

"Yes." She giggled. "Wait till you see the stuff for my room and my fuzzy slippers that Mama says I can wear at the hotel if I want."

"And did Mama get anything?" Pete touched his wife's hand. "Any fuzzy slippers by chance?"

"No," she started laughing and almost chocked on her milk. "A couple of dresses and the bed lamp you wanted and oh a new watch." And she held out her wrist for him to see. Thank you for watching the baby."

"We had a good time, didn't we son." He reached out and grabbed his boy's swaddled feet.

Lola started to ask a question at that point but Andrew broke in with a cry and Edie got up to check on him. She picked him up and his head inclined toward the source of his dinner. "I'll be back in a bit." She said deftly opening her blouse with one hand and holding him close with the other. "Anyone touches my mousse, you'll be sorry."

They decided to do the dishes so Mama wouldn't have to worry about them when she got back from feeding and changing Andrew. Lola knew that Andrew was for her mother's grandfather and that his middle name Christopher was what they would have named her if she had been a boy. He had a third middle name—Lee and she had no idea why, when she asked they just smiled.

"So, are you excited about seeing the house all finished when we get back on Monday?" Pete asked her as he settled down in the overstuffed chair in the living room.

Lola got up from the couch and sat down on her father's lap, giving him an earnest look. "Daddy, the paint color for my room isn't there."

"Sure it is baby." He tweaked her nose. "I thought there were two gallons of one and those were yours."

"No." she shook her head emphatically. "That's the butter cream and Mama said that was for trim and stuff, so I looked at them all but I didn't see PURPLE anywhere." And she stretched out her small arms as far as they would go.

He didn't mean to wrinkle his nose but he did. "Honey, we can go and pick out a color, I don't know why we forget but does it have to be purple?"

Lola put her small hands on either side of her father's face and gave him her best pout. "You and Mama promised that when the baby came and we moved into our new house I could have my room any way I wanted it. And I like purple. It's my favorite color."

"Well, I never would have guessed that." He couldn't help but smile. Her long blonde hair was tied back by purple hair ribbons and her sun dress was checked white and purple as was the bracelet she wore around her left wrist. Her sandals were white with purple splashes and the tiny silver hoops in her ears had a purple flower dangling from them.

"No, purple." He shook his head. He hated the color-the scary purple rabbits in his Aunt Marcia's bathroom, his friend Bobby's mother red pocketbook with the slash of purple across it. It was so garish and bright when it was put on a large surface like a wall and just the thought of it gave him shivers. When he first began his detective training he had been overcome by one of the men he was pursing and was locked in a basement room over night. He could still see clearly in his mind at times lying on the floor, his hands tied, staring at the horrible purple wall the light bulb making it look red at times. The little bits of the color his daughter wore were pretty and sparkly, but a whole room of purple?

"But Daddy, you promised. You promised before we moved here, even before I was five!

"What did you promise Daddy?" Edie came out into the living room sitting down on the loveseat and removing her shoes. Lola got up and retrieved her mother's left over mousse and glass of milk, taking a seat beside her. "Thank you darling." Edie kissed the top of her head as Lola snuggled against her.

"Did you get Andrew settled?" Pete asked. He had to admit he was glad for more reasons than one that his wife had chosen breastfeeding. (Six weeks, only six more weeks, he told himself. It was such a small thing compared to others he had endured.)

"He's eaten, changed, been rocked and sung too and put in bed. He'll be good for another three or four hour stretch. Now what is it Daddy promised?"

"He promised when we were at our old house, even before Andy was born that if we found a house we liked and moved I could have my room painted any color I wanted. But my paint color isn't in the garage so I told him we need to go get my purple paint and he said I can't have purple."

Edie took a bite of her dessert and looked thoughtful. "Daddy, if we promised purple then we need to go and get purple.

"I didn't say we couldn't, I just asked if we could get another color."

Edie finished her dessert, laying the plate on the coffee table. "Lola, why don't you go and show Daddy all the things you got for your room today?"

"Come on Daddy." Lola got down and half walked and half danced to her room.

"Is this a trick?" Pete asked his wife in a low voice.

"It depends on whether it works or not." She smiled. "But really Peter Gunn I've never known you to be so childish about anything. She's five not fifteen. She's not asking for a new car or a new wardrobe. She has a big bed and a huge window to look at the stars and she loves purple.

He opened his mouth to say something but she laid her finger across his lips. "And I know you had to survive the purple terror but Pete this is a little girl who loves a pretty sparkly color like a rainbow purple. And we've taught here from the time she could crawl, that it's very important to keep your promises. Besides it's just paint. And in four years or so she will want something else and before we know it she'll be moving into her own place and the days of purple will be gone. Think about it."

Taking hands they walked into their daughter's room where Lola was happily taking her new things out of the bags and laying them around the room. Pete smiled at the purple eyelet bedspread, sparkly purple bed skirt, purple night stand and lamp, her favorite stuffed giraffe had a fresh purple ribbon around his neck and he knew that Edie was right. Someday the purple would go away and the room would be dull and white and only used for company. He didn't want to think about that now.

"Do you like my stuff Daddy?" his oldest asked eagerly, doing her little dance.

He picked her up and kissed the top of her head. "I think all of your things are beautiful." He hugged her. "And I mean that. I also want to say that I'm sorry for earlier. Purple isn't my favorite color because lots of the shades are ugly but like Mama reminded me you have great taste and I should trust you. And most important I did promise and that should be enough. Will you forgive me doodle bug?"

"Yes, daddy I will." She gave that charming smile so much like her mother's along with her own sparkle. "Can we go get my paint now?"

He looked up at the clock (purple hands of course) and nodded. "Firestone should still be open. "Is it all right Mama?

"Of course." She got a sweater and put it on Lola's bare arms who didn't fuss like she wanted too. "But remember its 7:00 and we've got a busy day tomorrow.

Father and daughter giggled like they had a secret. Edie rolled her eyes and pretended not to notice.

"Maybe Daddy could help you pick the color?" Edie suggested as they all stood by the front door.

"Will you help me Daddy?" Lola smiled. "We'll get the best purple there is."


End file.
